


The Funeral

by Poipoigirl



Series: Summons seris [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII - Freeform, Cussing, Errors may exist, F/M, Final Fantasy VII - Freeform, M/M, No beta reader, Post-Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Someone gets knocked out, this is a fanfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29179152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poipoigirl/pseuds/Poipoigirl
Summary: Cid holds a funeral for his wife in Rocket Town while waiting for a clue where the rogue summons has fallen.Note: Takes place after Bahamut's Temple
Relationships: Cid Highwind/Vincent Valentine, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife, Yuffie Kisaragi/OC
Series: Summons seris [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2120796
Kudos: 1





	The Funeral

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own FF7 or the characters in story. Merlin was created by a friend and I have permission to use him.

The Funeral 

They all hear the noise of a shelf breaking and cans falling, followed by Tifa calling for help. The others hurry over to find Cid under some cans, eyes glazed over, and not moving. Cloud sighs as he kneels next to the older blond and pats his cheek trying to wake him. Vincent joins them, wondering why everyone was in the pantry. Tifa unable to look away from the body, “ I … I killed him! “

Earlier that day... 

Cid walks into the house, it feels so empty without Shera. It has been months since he has last seen her in person. The last time he saw her alive, was on a stranger's phone. Shera was someone Cid care for. They knew each other for years. Took care of each other, even if he was a dick. Regardless of what people thought, Shera was a strong woman in her own rights but just soft-spoken. She was also brave to the point of being reckless and, perhaps, a bit crazy in her own way. Crazy enough to stand in the guts of a rocket trying to fix it during launch. This house was always more hers than his. God, he was going to miss that crazy woman. Also thankful a kind soul cleaned the house for him. 

Today is her funeral. All the arrangements have already been made. The locals were helping him with both the wake and the meal afterward the funeral. He has some time to choose his clothes. There are a couple of uniforms in his closet. Each one has been dry-cleaned and left hanging in their own suit bag. There is his original Shinra uniform from when he was part of the Shinra military unit. There is his suit meant for any photo ops for the space program. The last was his WRO uniform since he is one of their commanders. So he pulls out his WRO uniform to check it over. Shera was always very proud of him for joining the WRO. She even said he looked handsome in their uniform. Think back to how proud she was, Cid has to wipe tears from his eyes. The outfit is chosen, Cid looks up in the mirror and catches Vincent watching him from the doorway. “ Gah! Holy crap, Vincent! Ya gonna give me a heart attack! “ 

Vincent just raises an eyebrow, “ I have never seen a zombie get a heart attack. “

Cid scowls, “ Haha!“ Turns to hang his suit on a hook. “ I'm gonna wear my WRO uniform. I know it's not black but fuck that. Shera liked this suit. “

Vincent nods, “ It will be done fine, chief. “ Walks over to get a better look at the uniform, “ Never seen you wear this. “

Cid makes a face, “ I hate uniforms. Gotta keep them clean and neat. Tees-shirts and cargo pants are more my speed. For Shera, I'll wear this. “

Vincent tilts his head slightly, “ I never asked how you felt about her. I only assumed... “

Cid, “ Cause we were married? I did like her a lot. She saw the best and worst of me and still hung around. “ With a thoughtful look, “ We met at the start of the space program. I do .. did consider her a good friend. Any of them shown up yet? “

Vincent nods, “ Nanaki has already come and some others should be arriving now. “

Cid, “ I'll be right out. Ned to shave a shit.” Before Vincent can comment, “ You know what I mean, ya smart ass. “ He just had to shave and brush his teeth really quick. 

~

Cid lights a smoke and heads out to meet some of his friends. He would offer his house, but it was small and there was only one bedroom. The first one he sees is Nanaki, sitting outside the Inn and enjoying the sun. 

Cid, “ Hey Red, how are you? “

Nanaki stands and gives a polite nod. He also gives the air a sniff, “ I am fairing well, Are you well, Cid? You seem a bit pale. “

Cid knew why he was being asked but not ready to tell Nanaki, no I'm a dead man walking. He isn't even sure how many of his friends were told he got grabbed, let alone killed. “ I've been through some crazy shit lately. “

Nanaki nods, “ I have only heard a little bit of it. “

Cid trusts the guardian of Cosmo Canyon with more than his life. “ Yeah, I will give you the more interesting details later. “

Nanaki is satisfied with that promise, “ It has been a while since we shared drinks. Oh, Cloud also arrived with Tifa and Shelke. “ 

Cid just nods as The Shera would make traveling a lot easier and both girls loved Shera. Marlene and Denzel may be staying home to watch the other kids. Cid heads inside the Inn to see Cloud sitting at the bar. Cid orders a hot coffee before sitting next to his friend. The Innkeeper gives Cid a look til he puts his cigarette out. “ Tifa upstairs? “

Cloud, “ Yeah, she getting freshened up. “

Cid snorts, “ Sis could look like hell and still look fine. “ 

Cloud asks quietly, “ How are you doing? Any changes? “ Cloud is really asking if he noticed any changes since he died. The kid can be sweet. 

Cid, “ I'm... fine. I mean nothing has fallen off yet.. “

Cloud, “ Is Merlin around? “ Merlin, his long lost baby brother. Out of everything that happened, being reunited with Merle was a bright spot. Technically, Merlin was his half-brother from their dad's second marriage but Cid doesn't care. Family is family. 

Cid, “ He should be back in town soon. He went with Yuffie to ask about some property in Wutai. “ He really hopes they can lay claim. Cid was never crazy of Rocket Town and, with Shera gone, as less of a reason to stay. If they don't, he'll just ask for permission to get some and start from scratch. Merlin really seems to be into the idea of moving there. He also has a thing for the team princess. 

Cid hears his name called and he turns to see Tifa coming down the inn stairs. Not far behind her is Shelke, who comes over to give her adopted uncle a hug. 

Tifa asks, “ Are you doing okay, Cid? “ 

Cid just shrugs, “ I'm doing okay. “ Tifa gave him a soft but sad look. The looks many have given him since he came back. He knows they all mean well but he hates that look. Knows it would have been even more infuriating if he was devastated. “ The wake will begin around nine and the funeral at eleven. Afterward, the town will have a huge meal set up for .. well, everyone. They might all be quirky but they do make fine food. “ Tempted to light another smoke but the building went no smoking and he wants to get some coffee before being kicked out. The innkeeper hands him a hot cup of fresh coffee. “ Also, you all get to meet my baby brother. “ Taking a good long drink of his hot coffee. Cloud tries not to smirk as he knows Merle would hate that description. 

Tifa asks, with confusion, “ You have a brother? You never mentioned him before. “

Cid just nods casually, “ Yeah, I thought he was dead. To be fair, he thought I was dead, too. “

Tifa looks at Cid before asking again, “ Are you sure you're okay? You look a bit pale. “ 

Cid downs the rest of his coffee, “ We can talk later, Sis. I got things to check over. Then I have to get dressed. “ Shelke takes his cup from him to hand back to the Inn Keeper 

~

The wake itself was just people coming and going from the room set aside for Shera. They don't have a body for the funeral, so different pictures of Shera were placed in the room. Pictures donated from several friends who lived in the town and a couple from the house. Cid stands next to the main picture of Shera. His is hair brushed back, and, without the goggle, still manages to be a bit unruly. His WRO uniform, making him look quite handsome and almost respectable. While it looks closer to the style the other WRO men use, his colors are a dark blue. Cid still feels he could pass for a corpse, ready for its own wake. He already had this talk with the locals, who were worried about his health. 

Tifa walks over to him with a chair in hand, “ Use this No one will mind if you need to sit. “

Cid is trying not to lose his patience, “ I'm fine. Really. “ 

Tifa, “ Clearly you're still getting over being hurt, and having to deal with a funeral might be too much for you. “ Trying to get him to sit down. Cid spots his salvation. Yuffie and merlin are back from their trip. Watching Yuffie hold the door for Merlin is fucking funny. 

Merlin, “ I should be holding the door for you. “

Yuffie being a bit cheeky, “ That's okay, you'll get it next time maybe! “ 

Cid pats Tifa on the shoulder, “ I have to go greet my brother. “ He is off before she can protest. The pilot can be fast when he feels inclined to be. “ Glad you two got back. “ Giving his brother a warm hug. Using the chance to whisper, “ My friend Tifa is driving me nuts. “ Merlin laughs. Cid hisses “It's not funny. If I sit too damn long, I fall asleep. Then people will get on my back about sleeping through her fucking wake. Then they will think I just died... “ 

Merlin, who is 6 feet tall, tries to keep a straight face, “ Thank god, I'm here to save you. “ 

Yuffie, “ Hey, Cid, we have good news on the property. “

Cid pulls away from Merlin, “ We can go over it later. I'll need the good news then. “ Tifa comes over, so Cid does introductions, “ Hey Tifa, this is my brother, Merlin. “

Tifa looks up, “ Please to meet you. “ Surprised the younger brother is tall. 

Merlin is staring at Tifa's breasts, “ Hello Boobs, “ Both Yuffie and Cid elbows him hard, “ I mean hello, Tifa! “ Tifa gives him a look. Cid knows, if they weren't at this wake, she would have decked him. “ Technically, we're half brothers. My mom was very tall and had a mean right hook. “

Yuffie thoughtfully taps a finger to her own chin, “ That explains his taste. Cid likes them tall and feisty. “

Tifa looks confused, “ But wasn't Shera short? “

Merlin distracts her by saying, “ Now, I'm here to keep an eye on Cid and we still have a lot of catching up to do, right? “ 

Cid really appreciates the change of subject, “ Yeah, so I'm in good hands now. “

Tifa smiles sadly and nods, “ Just make sure Cid doesn't push himself too hard. “

Merlin gestures to the room “ Hey Cid, can you show me her photos? “ Merlin never had a chance to meet his sister-in-law. So Cid talks about each one and several of them have a good story behind them. The only interruptions are people expressing their condolences. 

Merlin, “ Shera sounded like a very interesting person. “

Cid nods as he feels a tear wanting to escape, “ That she was. “

Merlin, “ Where is the vampire? Kinda weird not seeing him stalk you. “

Cid, “ Oh, he already paid his respects. Vincent is doing security checks. This would be his third round just to be thorough. “

Merlin can't help but ask, “ Third check? Isn't that a bit excessive?”

Then Nanaki answers, “ What I have seen, it's a habit from his Turk days. Greetings! You must be Cid's brother. “ 

Merlin thought this was someone's pet, “ Whoa... it talks “

Cid laughs, “ Yes, he does. This is Nanaki, the guardian of Cosmo Canyon and one of my good friends. I sometimes call him Red. Red, this is Merlin. “ 

Merlin, “ Oh, sorry... “ Feeling a bit like a jackass now, “ I'm hoping to visit there soon. “

Nanaki gives an amused smile, “ It's not the first time I surprised someone. Isn't that right, Cid? “

Cid, “ Hell, yeah. He's a fucking good sport considering. “

Nanaki, “ Cid, Shera would be very pleased with you wearing your WRO uniform. “

Cid smiles a little, “ She always had a thing for men in uniforms. “ 

Merlin can't stop himself from saying, “ I bet Vincent does as well. “ 

Nanaki laughs, “ Yes. Though I don't see the appeal. I suspect uniforms are a two-legged thing. “ Looks over in Tifa's direction, “ I noticed Tifa has been mother henning you, Cid. I shall help keep Tifa further distracted then. “ At that, he heads over to talk to Tifa. 

Merlin whispers, “ I think he suspects you and Vincent have a thing, “

Cid laughs but he wonders how obvious it's been if Nanaki and Yuffie caught it. Then again Tifa is still clueless. He prefers Cloud's attitude of not caring. Speaking of Cloud, the blond swordsman comes over and asks, “ Tifa being too much? “

Merlin answers, “ I had to save him from her. “

Cid rubs the bridge of his nose, “ Is it too early for beers? “

Cloud thinks, “ Yes, unless you want Tifa to think you become an alcoholic, too. “ 

Cid just groans. That would be more of a pain. “ He checks his watch, “ Looks like it's almost time. “ Cloud quietly nods before heading out. 

Merlin, “ Hey, you need anything? “

Cid, “ I'm going to sneak out and have a smoke. See ya there, right? “ By now, people were trickling out and getting ready for the main funeral. Enough time for Cid to get a smoke. 

~

The church has built right after Meteor was dropped, a building Cid has no memory of being in til now. Which is a bit awkward to even try explaining to his friends. He was married somewhere but he couldn't say if it was here or at the Inn. To be fair, it looks rather nice inside. 

The local priest, who moved in during the Geostigma, is doing a very lovely sermon for the funeral. Cid gets front row to this. On one side is Merlin and the other side is Vincent. Vincent would prefer the back row, but knows, as hard as he tries, Cid is going to fall asleep. They don't need to think Cid died mid-ceremony. It is a bit ironic, as Cid has died and seen the lifestream more than once, yet he doesn't even give goddess a single serious thought.

“ …. Where there is death, is the promise of new life. Someday we all will meet again...... Praise the Goddess! “

It's time for Cid to speak. Vincent nudges him, making him jerk awake. Cid rubs the bridge of his nose before heading up to the podium. He loosens the collar around his neck and looks over the room. 

Cid, “ Thanks for coming. It warms my heart to see so many people with us today. Shera touches us all in her own quiet way. She was always trying to take care of people, including my cranky old ass, “ The room chuckles, “ She was a good friend and a great coworker. I met her when through the space program. Shera has seen me through the best or the worst.... and she was taken from us all too soon. “ His eyes begin to water some, “ But I know for a fact that she doesn't want us to grieve forever. She mighta been a bit crazy... hell that only meant she fit with the rest of us right? But she helped make this place special. We need to keep on living and loving. I'm gonna miss ya Shera. I haven't forgotten ya. “ 

Cid sits back down and other people are invited to go up and talk; leaning against Vincent's shoulder, The former Turk quietly lets his cloak wrapped around the pilot. 

~

The town really put together a nice spread of food. Cid got a look at what was set up and a lot of it looked good. Knows the others will be meeting there and looking for him, but they can wait. Cid decides to grab Vincent go somewhere else. Not that Vincent minds. Cid has been through a lot in such a short time. He had been abducted, enslaved, and killed only to be brought back as a zombie with a dead wife. Cid takes him to where the Rocket pad once was. The town replaced the pad with a new monument: a lovely fake rocket. 

Vincent, “ The monument is nice. “

Cid puts his cigarettes up without taking one out, “ Yeah. Nothing compared to the real deal, but close enough. Ya know... I don't mind hanging around to protect this planet. Just... What if I do start to just rot. What if my brain degrades? Zombie's do that. I might start to hunger for flesh... in a non-sexual way. I don't wanna become a mindless monster. “ Vincent pulls Cid against him. No need for words. Cid softly weeps against him. 

Vincent whispers, “ You will be fine. It won't happen. We won't let that happen. “ Lets Chaos also speak, “ If you do degrade, we can heal your body, my Sky. Rot shall never have power over you. “ He can feel Cid calming down and relaxing. Vincent softly kisses Cid ontop of his head. Cid tilts his face up and returns the next kiss on the lips. Then Vincent senses someone is watching them. The person, who was watching, quickly bolts. 

Cid, “ Did someone catch us? “ 

Vincent frowns a little, “ Maybe. Shall I hunt them down? “ 

Cid rolls his eyes, “ Meh, fuck 'em. Let's go join the others. “ The two make it to the town banquet hall. Shelke is the first to greet them, with a plate of food in hand, and ask Cid where he was. Cid, " Getting some fresh air. " Tifa giving them both a look. 

Shelke misses the look, “ You should get some food, Uncle Cid. “

Cid nods dutifully, “ I'll make my way there, short stuff. “ He didn't want to deal with Tifa right now, so plans to avoid her. He notices that Vincent seems distracted. “ The demons need to stretch their legs? “

Vincent nods, “ Will you be okay? “

Cid, “ Yeah, sure! I'm among friends, Vince. Remind them to save some energy for me later. “

Vincent chuckles deeply and his eyes gleam gold, “ We shall hold you to that, our Sky. “ 

As promised, Cid heads to the food, talking to people along the way. Most just talk about how nice both wake and service was. Reminders to take care of himself better as he looks a bit pale. Eventually, he meets Merlin in line. 

Merlin, “ Have you eaten anything? Even if you don't feel hungry, you still should try to eat. “

Cid looks at the table, “ Been busy. Anything good left? “

Merlin, “ Some stuff. The pigs in a blanket are okay. Tiny cake things are almost gone. Sadly, the deviled eggs are all gone but they were soo good. “ Cid just grabs a few things. He also grabs a couple of little cakes and pops one in his mouth. They tasted fancy. Cid gives a silent thanks that he can still enjoy the taste of food. “ How are you holding up? “

Cid, “ Doing a little better now. I just needed a moment. “

Merlin, “ You have to try this. “ Putting some food on Cid's plate. Then remembers what he wanted to say, “ Oh, by the way, looks like we'll get ownership of the small land in Wutai. I got a chance to see the property and it really needs a lot of work. “

Cid, “ I'm surprised you could still recognize it as a house. “ They find a table to sit down at with his food. 

Cloud joins them, “ Has Reeve found anything on the other summons yet?”

Cid shakes his head, “ Not yet but we might have leads. “ Looks up to see Shelke, Nanaki, and Tifa joining their table. Tifa was giving him a cold vibe. Not sure what was up her ass but it wasn't enough to keep her from asking questions with the others: “ So what happened? “ “ Why were you grabbed? “ “ Are you really okay? “ “ Who was behind it?” and ' Who is this? “ 

Cid gestures, “ This is my little brother Merlin. “ Merlin rolls his eyes, “ There are some subjects I don't wanna talk about in public. So, let's move this back to the house. “ Once at the house, Cid heads to the kitchen to look for some drinks, to hand out. There are some cold ones but they may need a few more beers once he gets his story started. The others find places to sit in both the kitchen and in the Den as it's an open space. 

Cid, “ Hey Sis, wanna help me get more beer and soda from the pantry? Gonna need it.” Tifa is oddly agreeable and follows him to the pantry, which has canned food and more drinks. Some of them were actually the beer that Vincent is quite fond of. Shera liked to make sure both men had their preferred drinks when at the house. He crosses his arms and asks, “ What crawled up your ass, Tifa? 

Tifa tenses, her hands ball up into fists, “ I went looking for you and found you kissing Vincent. How long have you been cheating on Shera? “ 

Cid gestures with his hands out, “ So, you were the nosy bitch. You had no goddamn business following us out there, “

Tifa, “ She was my friend. “ Her fists clutch harder, “ You are such a selfish asshole. She loved you. She gave you everything and you just used her! I bet you don't even care she's dead! “

Cid sneers, “ What the fuck do you know? I never kept a secret from Shera. You have no damn idea what our relationship was. I bet I was a hell of a lot more with her than you with Spiky. If I was cheating, on her it would have still not been your business! I doubt you really even knew who the real Shera was. I knew her! For many &%*^$ years longer than you, too. She was no damn saint like you treat her as. She also didn't let anyone just step all over her if she didn't want it. Unlike someone, I know. So get her dead ass off that pedestal you put her on and get off my back! “ Next thing he knows, Tifa unloaded some mean punches on him. His body crashing into some shelves and taking it down with him. When she noticed he was not moving, she checked his pulse to find none. The noise brought the others in to see what happened...

Which brings everyone standing in the pantry when the dead body starts to talk.

“ Ow... Fuck Tifa, that hurt! “ Causing Tifa to almost pass out on Cid. Vincent catches her and keeps her steady. The combination of a Tifa's beat down, a loaded shelf, and a bunch of cans only stunned him. “ Is my face broke? “

Merlin orders, “ Everyone out! We need to check on him. “

Tifa still trying to process things, “ But he was dead. “

Vincent, gently “ We will explain in a few minutes. Wait for us in the kitchen. “ They all do what is asked, leaving Cid in the hands of the Former Turk and brother. Vincent kneels down and lets Chaos heal Cid. The damage is not as bad as it looked. “ I can't leave you alone for even a minute, chief. “

Cid chuckles, “ Nope. “ Then winces as she did crack his jaw. 

The others wait for them, drinking their beer and soda in silence. Cloud, the only calm one, keeps his arm around Tifa's shoulders. While, Yuffie knows what the story is but is mad at Tifa, so she is the first to break the silence. 

Yuffie, “ What gives! Why did you go punching him anyway?! “ 

Shelke is not sure who she should side with on this one. “ Why did you do it, Tifa? “

Tifa “ I... I saw Vincent kiss Cid today. I thought he was cheating on Shera before she died. “ covers her face, “ I wasn't trying to kill him. “

Cid walks in, with his face looking better but still pale, “ Not all her fault. I did ask for it. For the record, I've been dead for a week. It was only a week, right? Anyway, I was just stunned. If you really were trying to kill me, it would have been hella worse. How about I just tell you what all happened from the beginning. “

So Cid starts to tell them about how he was abducted and forced to cooperate when they used Shera as a hostage. Having to wear slave crown and having materia placed inside him. While Merlin doesn't go into his own past, he helps add in the details of Shera being accidentally killed and how they tracked Cid to an island. The ritual ended with the new summons being flung out into the world and Cid being shot to death, only to be brought back as undead. “ Now I don't have a pulse and been told I stop breathing when asleep or ...  
apparently knocked for a loop. “

Yuffie blurts out, “ Yeah, it's like he's a zombie now. I'm surprised no one noticed during the funeral. “ Cid just shrugs. 

Merlin hangs his head, “It's part of the price we had to pay. He also can't return to the lifestream till the world's next migration. “ Yuffie rubbing his back in a soothing manner. 

Cid, “ Hey, no one blames you, Merle. I got a chance to know my brother again and.. well, Vincent is stuck like that, too, so I ain't alone. It won't be so bad if I get to spend forever it with Vincent and his demons. Though he might change his mind about me after we hit the first 100-year mark. “ Vincent just shakes his head. “ So how many knew about my crush on Vincent? “

Nanaki smiles, “ It was hardly a well-kept secret. “

Tifa is left shocked, “ Wait, you knew? and what about Shera? “ 

Vincent, “ She knew. I suspect she encouraged Cid to get drunk before they get married. Not the act of a guiltless woman. “ 

Cid sighs, “ Yeah, Shera was not shy about chasing what she wanted. Despite that, I did care for her. Just in my own way. She knew who she was getting married to and never tried to change me. Now it's not even really an issue unless we make it one. “ He eyes Tifa. 

Shelke changes the subject, “ What is it like dying?” As her sister's body was never recovered and she can only wonder if her sister crossed over by now.

Cid scratches the back of his head, as he has trouble trying to answer that, “ It's hard to explain. It hurt like hell. Then all the pain was gone and I was walking into a river. But the sensations! I mean... it's like coming to the very true essence of home. I saw Shera, too and she's okay now. Then, I felt Merlin calling for me to come back. I had the choice to stay or go back and I chose to go back. Hey, I still have the scars from the bullet holes. Wanna see?! “ Without even waiting for an answer, he opens his coat and opens up his dress shirt. The scars are indeed over vital areas. Tifa's face went from flush from what Cid told her and then to pale when she sees his new scars. The others marveling. Vincent still refuses to let them see any of his scars. Yet, here is Cid, proudly showing his own off. 

Nanaki turns and asks Vincent, “ Did you experience that when you died?”

Vincent, “ No. My circumstances were different. “ Hiding behind the collar of his clock, trying not to laugh at Cid when Yuffie starts to tickle him. That is the only reason the Chief buttons his shirt back up. 

Nanaki, “ So, now you are searching for materia linked to these Ancient fiends. I think I can find some scrolls on them. It will help you know what you will be facing. “

Cloud, “ What we do know is they will need a host. We also think there might be new summon materia for a few of the deities we already know about. They will be stronger and might also be seeking hosts. “

Cid puts a hand over his chest, “ I have this shiny new Bahamut materia. I can talk to him, too. A bit bossy but.. could be worse. “

Shelke stands, “ Please, let me help! I can look for any reports on new materia, Someone is bound to put something up on the net. “

Cid pulls the small girl into a one-armed hug, “ Hell kid, you're always welcome on my ship. “ 

Tifa hesitantly asks, “ Is there any way I can help? “

Cid scowls as he lets go of Shelke, “ Stop being such a girl, Sis. You know I still love ya. You wanna help? Keep working the bar. It's still a magnet for travelers. “ Seventh heaven was still one of the best places to get a drink, “ Keep your ears open for any new word on weird materia or people acting weird. “ Tifa still gives Cid a small punch in the shoulder. 

Merlin stands and tries to look firm, “ He may have forgiven you, but if you hurt him again, I won't let it slide. “

Cid can't help but tease as he stands up, “ What you gonna do, fall on her? “

Merlin protests, “ I'm not that clumsy! “

Cid, “ Ya not that graceful. “ It does make Tifa laugh and the tension drains from her. The two brothers go to actually bring more beer and soda into the kitchen. Vincent just sighs as he follows the two Highwind brothers. Fresh cans of beer and soda are soon passed out; Cid keeping two beers for himself. “ I want to make a toast! To Shera: a crazy, stubborn, and strong woman who I hope popped a few nuts before they took her down. “ 

The others holding their cans up in a toast, “ To Shera! “

Tifa drinks her beer and asks, “ So what are you going to do now? “

Cid, “ We got a deal with Godo. I design an airship for Wutai and I get a plot of land that actually belongs to my family. Rocket Town is even willing to help build it for us. Then I'm going to rebuild the house on it with Vincent and Merle. The house here will be sold and we'll use the money to repair the new place. “

Cloud, “ Just let us know when you're working on it so we can help. “ He was not one to mind working with his hands for a friend. 

Tifa nods, “ I'm sure Barret would love to give a hand, too. He would have been here but something last minute came up.”

Cid, “It's all good. His flowers would have been loved by Shera. As for the house? We can wait till summer to work on it. Till then, we're also going to hunt down the materia and save the world again. You know.. same old same old.. “ Shamelessly leans again Vincent, “ You up for saving the world again, babe? “

Vincent looks down with affection, “ I will stay by your side till the world goes cold and we migrate to a new destiny. “ 

~ To be Continued ~


End file.
